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5 types of parents who will help make your kid-friendly Super Bowl party a raging success.

America's biggest sports day of the year is right around the corner, and yes, I'm talking about the Super Bowl.

Unless you completely despise American football, there's a good chance you'll watch Sunday's matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers. Over 114 million people in the U.S. tuned in to last year's Super Bowl, and it's likely that number will increase this year.

Since the big game is also a big social event, you may choose to watch it with others. Not that there's anything wrong with watching it alone, of course.


GIF via "30 Rock."

Some of us will even host a Super Bowl party. When you're a parent, you sometimes need an excuse for a me-time party. This is a great one.

Of course, you'll need the right crew. These are the five parents you absolutely should invite to your Super Bowl party.

1. The secondary entertainer.

This parent has zero interest in football, but instead of complaining about it, he or she will do something positive to keep the kids and other non-sports fans happy.

It could be magic tricks or funny stories. Maybe this amazing human will transform his or her face into an easel for the kids' amusement.

All photos were taken from the Daddy Doin' Work Instagram feed and used with permission.

Or gather the kids into another room for lightsaber training so the other grown-ups can watch the game in peace.

The force is definitely with them.

Needless to say, the value of this is immeasurable. We salute you.

2. The master-chef-in-training.

Maybe it's the dad who spent the majority of the year perfecting his family's famous chili recipe — and his singular mission is to impress you and the other guests with it on Super Bowl Sunday. He takes cooking more seriously than he takes the game, and if the guests are happy with his creation, he wins.

He wants to keep everyone fed. Who wouldn't like that guy?

Besides, he's a new dad now. He realizes that he has to step up his culinary game in order to effectively pass down the proper techniques to his kids for their future Super Bowl parties.

Just don't ask him for the recipe because he's not giving it up.

3. The no-leftovers family.

You made and bought a lot of food. So much food that it could easily feed an entire city block. Luckily, you're friends with the no-leftovers family. They come ready to eat and enjoy your food, which makes you really, really happy.

What game? Just feed me.

They'll probably spend more time at your dining room table crushing your grub than sitting in front of the TV. But hey, you worked hard on the spread and it's awesome to see people appreciating that. And you won't have to worry about clearing out any additional fridge space.

4. The dirt-fighting superhero.

Adults drinking beer, kids running wild, and messy food make for a bad combination if you're a fan of cleanliness.

This parent is so used to picking up after the kids that he or she can't turn the internal switch off — even at a party. They'll wash dishes, vacuum floors, heck, they may even offer to give your kids a bath before the night is over. Basically these parents are vigilantes protecting the sanctity of Neatness Nation — and their temporary headquarters is your house.

When he's around, there will be less mess so you can rest.

5. The good sport parent.

Sports can really make people act weird. When the game isn't going their way, they might get angry. Really angry.

The quarterback threw ANOTHER interception?? GIF via "The Incredible Hulk."

Screaming and stomping out of the room may be cool at home, but when you're at a Super Bowl party, just as many people are interested in the game as the commercials and the halftime show.

That's why it's essential to have parents who are good sports. It's all about the big picture with them. They understand that the outcome of the game isn't nearly as important as having a good time. I mean, isn't the whole point of a party to have fun?

These parents absolutely get it.

The only rule is to have fun.

The Super Bowl is a day when everyone can be happy, as long as you're surrounded by the right people.

Of course we want our team to win, too — but let's not focus on the insignificant stuff.

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

True

It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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